As a livery - would it upset you if...

It sounds like you have made the very best preparations you can to prevent any misshaps occurring and in your situation I would just turn him out and be done with it. otify them that he will be turned out at X time on X day so that they can make arrangements to be there if the are at all concerned butyou canot condemn him to a life wtin four walls. Then they will see that there is NOTHING to be worried about. Some people seriously have nothing better to worry about. They need to get a life. Their geldings will be absolutely fine.
 
Nope wouldn't bother me.
I used to work at a full livery yard and we had stallions come in all the time. I think at one point we had 5 in for a grading.
The were kept at the top end of the barn behind stable grills and none of them caused a problem. We were careful not to lead mares passed and nothing was aloud to stop outside the stables but we mainly treated them as any other horse.
 
Given the arrangements described and the temperament described and assuming sensible handling, no I would not have an issue. I feel for you as it does sound like the others are being OTT - especially given they have geldings not mares.
 
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Wouldn't upset me if situation has been thought out as you seem to have done.
We did have someone with a stallion look for livery at place we livery- a totally diy yard.
When they said they thought he would just go out with geldings which is right next to the mares( with 'normal' height fencing )was its ok he didn't act like a stallion that did bother me more than upset me more.They hadn't even told YO he was a stallion it came up in conversation with a livery when they were looking around yard.YO had said there ws a space
Oh and sometimes they would need someone to put him out - diy = do it yourself!
Didn't have a prob with them coming but did say would be baying for blood if got in with my mare.
 
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Oh, dear. That sounds quite rum indeed. It wouldn't bother me; as many have made the point, it is not going to kill or maim on sight :rolleyes: and they don't sound like they're up to speed on what they're talking about if this is their actual reaction to the thorough precautions and considerations put in place.

Your YO sounds like they're considering both sides, which is great, but it shouldn't be to the detriment of Rio or the arrangements previously agreed for him. Do as CBFan says re turning out (let your YO know how you're proceeding first) and *whatever* you do, always smile and be friendly just as if nobody has any issue - once they untwist their knickers and get to know you and your lot a bit better, things may well come good.
 
Agree with the put a note up and say he is going out at 10 am tomorrow.

Some people are like this when a new mare arrives or a new gelding.... its a bit like the Storm, Form, Norm and Perform in buisness speak - your just in the storm stage at the moment.... but if you dont stick up for your boy he has no one else too.

It will all blow over by New Year anyways - just make sure you have your phone with you and if any of the egits start to make mischeif video it or record it on your phone and show you YO.

Anyway at the end of the day if the YO is happy it is nothing to do with anyone else
 
I have a little more sympathy with the gelding owners than others on here do. We have kept mares on yards with stallions with no problems at all (except for one occaision when the stallions owner thought that it would be a good idea to turn him out next to my mare!) However a neighbour brought a young stallion onto their land, he got over the wall and tried to chase down another neighbours fairly elderly gelding, very nearly had him as well. Our mares were nearly as accessible to him as the gelding, but we believe that he decided to take out the 'competion' before trying his luck with the girls. He was then stabled until he was gelded and the problem resolved, but it was not a pleasant time for any of us.
 
Sounds like a good set up and the YO has obviously gone to a lot of trouble - BUT - I think that as a general rule stallions are best kept out of livery yards and if you wish to own one you should either own your own yard/privately rent or have it with a pro/on a speciallist yard. You might be experienced and capable and your stallion might be as good as gold, but what about the other liveries, their friends, family, other hangers on and thier horses? How do you know that none of them are going to do something stupid/ without thinking? You cannot account for other people (one of the reasons I am not on a livery yard and probably never will be!)
 
I would stick it out if I were you. You haven't been there long and there is often a bit of gossiping on yards when new liveries arrives. The most important thing is that your stallion is well behaved and over the next few weeks they will come to recognize this and should stop bothering. Once they realize that their horses are fine and he isn't a raving lunatic (why people always think this about stallions I have no idea!) I'm sure you'll have no bother.

My mare would probably be a right nightmare if a stallion turned up on her yard, but she is a bit temperamental in general with other horses. She has convinced herself that my YO's miniature shetlands are plotting to kill her and has done plenty of leaping about when led past their field. But that is her problem (and mine :p), and we just work round it. She'll get used to them, and I don't really mind, I just think it's funny. I dare say we'd have similar shenanigans with a stallion, but it's not the end of the world!
 
the effort that has been put in to crate a safe a place as possible sounds great,

personally though I don't understand why anyone would want to keep a stallion entire unless they were in a position to turn it out with other horses be-it mares for covering or geldings for company-I think to keep them alone gives them a sad and lonely life and they would be better off gelded. I think horses need to be able to touch/groom/run with other horses not just see them from a distance
 
The_angel_littlelegs said:
B] Only thing that I'd want to know is whether its possible for the stallion to pop the 5' fence & get to an in season mare.[/B]
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I have more trouble with geldings than I ever have with the stallions. Two liveries here have had to be put in individual paddocks (wasting space and losing me income) which I have had to double fence (at great expense to myself) to stop the beggars trashing the perimeter fences. Whoever says (referring to a recent thread, not this one specifically) that YO's do not go above and beyond at times are talking out of their behinds. If I had a choice I wouldn't have a single gelding on the farm.

As for jumping fences, all the studs (x3 currently) here are far too idle to jump.

On the other hand, the mares are a pain in the butt. I have a nice little palomino weanling here now because my slut of a mare jumped a 5' wire fence, multiple times, to get in with colts when she was in season.
 
if the yard owner has made the correct changed almost safe and secure and other is open and willing to address any problems then no.
there Is no reason for anyone to have an issue.
 
It's often not the stallion that's the problem, but the humans that own them!

Your situation is exactly like what happened with us last year, except I have a mare and a gelding and the stallion was moved onto the yard. There wasn't much of a problem until the electric fencing on their side of the fence wasn't maintained and the stallion kept escaping. This resulted in my 20yr old gelding (in the adjacent field with his 3 mare friends) galloping up and down the fence line with the stallion, lashing out with a hind leg to keep him away and getting his leg stuck up in the fence. Not pretty. Stallion had to go. Wasn't his fault, his owners just didn't maintain or check their fencing at all.
 
I've kept my horse on a yard with six stallions before now, it was never a problem, the stallions had proper stallion paddocks with proper fencing and were kept well away from the other liveries. Sounds as if your "set up" is okay and has been well though out, I would be happy enough with that. Like other's have said, its very rarely the stallion its the useless people that handle them!
 
Absolutely not, too many people make issues re stallions, forgetting too that mares come in to season and can be moody with or without a stallion around. If they are scared they may not be able to handle their horse because there is a stallion around, then dont have one, sex of the animal shouldnt make any difference, this is my opinion.
 
Sounds very much like the situation I was in at an old yard. The stallion belonged to the yard owner and although he was fairly quiet she always made sure he was done when no mares or children were about and there was never ever any even slight problem.
 
I think people who have never encountered or handled a stallion can be quite worried about them and think they are all going to be bundles of raging testosterone! The arrangements sound good and once the other liveries get used to him, I'm sure it will all settle down.
 
Donkey said:
I've kept my horse on a yard with six stallions before now, it was never a problem, the stallions had proper stallion paddocks with proper fencing and were kept well away from the other liveries. Sounds as if your "set up" is okay and has been well though out, I would be happy enough with that. Like other's have said, its very rarely the stallion its the useless people that handle them!
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Not always stallion handlers;) other people can be pretty clueless too, witless to the point of stupidity at times in fact :) I think education about stallions, their handling and the behaviour of everyone around them is paramount for peace and safety on a yard.

My rules around the stallions are crystal clear and I expect Owners to adhere to my rules for the benefit of all concerned, no ifs, buts or maybe's:-

Do NOT titbit them (in fact, please don't titbit any of my horses) :mad:
Do NOT lead your horse up to talk to them :rolleyes:
Do NOT use them as a teaser if your mare is in season :confused:
Do NOT tie up outside their stall if they are inside :(

I always make it abundantly clear before prospective Owners even come to view that I have stallions, that I intend to keep them, and use them, and that if they don't like it then this may not be the facility for them.
 
I have mares, geldings and stallions. Luckily I've never had to be on a livery yard, but our home farm is set up for stallions and if you have the fencing, gates, etc. correct then there should be no problem. However, I would worry about the people who may do the wrong thing and leave gates open, not close doors, put other horses in the wrong place, etc. I wouldn't trust the average person to know how to behave around full horses.
 
Cortez said:
I have mares, geldings and stallions. Luckily I've never had to be on a livery yard, but our home farm is set up for stallions and if you have the fencing, gates, etc. correct then there should be no problem. However, I would worry about the people who may do the wrong thing and leave gates open, not close doors, put other horses in the wrong place, etc. I wouldn't trust the average person to know how to behave around full horses.
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Totally agree.

Stallion ownership is not something that should be encouraged and them becoming the norm in livery yards would not help.
 
I've been on a yard that had two stallions. They were kept separately from the mares and it wasn't a problem at all. But it was a professional yard where people knew what they were doing around stallions and how to handle them. If someone were to want to bring one to the yard I am on now, then I definitely wouldn't want it as yard isn't geared to stallions and their requirements. But given what you have said in your original post, about the fencing and separations arrangements then I don't think it would be a problem in the slightest.
 
StormyMoments said:
my hypothetical situation isnt actually hypothetical... this is the situation i have with Rio.

We have spent the last month and a half getting everything absolutely perfect to make sure everyone was 100% happy and safe in the knowledge that he has a verryyyyyyy slim chance of getting out or causing any issues. the yard only has 6 other horses that arent mine (i have 3) Rio is stabled next to the yard owners 31 year old mare who hasnt noticed she has a neighbour :o he isnt bothered about the other horses, he very rarely looks over the door but the assuptions have been made before he had even got there and even though he hadnt even come out of his stable apparently he was making the other geldings nervous :( and the owners arent happy. this has led to Rio being stabled 24/7 as they dont want him out dispite him being very quiet and having practically no chance of making the great escape :(

im feeling a bit down about it. there has been a lot of bitching going on about me and the horses, especially rio which i have over heard quite a few times. i have been there less than 2 days and i dont feel comfortable there at all. Taz and Rio settled immediately and both layed down in their first night there and rio is happy being in but its not something im happy with being a perminant arrangement. the YO has said that they have no reason to get upset about it and that i just have to be considerate of them. not that i wouldnt be anyway but im not even sure they know which ones the stallion as taz is the one being the handful!

so im feeling a little sad and upset and wondering if the move was a mistake and maybe i should have waited longer to find another yard but this one seemed perfect :( sorry im rambling :/
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Just read this part - it just sounds like they're making excuses. My last gelding was stabled next to a stallion at the last yard and they actually got on really well! Sounds to me like they don't want ANYONE new on the yard and they're using your stallion as an excuse to whinge. Let's face it - when any new horse arrives on a yard - be it mare, or gelding, it can unsettle the others until they get used to it! I would give it time and as the fencing is sorted, turn him out. Let them see that he isn't going to do anything wrong and that it is them that have the issue, not you. :)
 
It depends on the stally and on what horse(s) I had on the yard. When I was moving house we had to very quickly assimilate a stallion onto one of the yards. He may only be little but he's all boy - and such a gentleman with it. Easy to handle, talks nicely to all the mares he can see over his door and a couple of fences away and tbh is less hassle than my geldings when there are pretty girls about.

However I do have an extremely tarty mare and kept her off the yard when I knew he was coming on to it. I can't imagine how she'd have felt about a boy that smelt right, made the right noises and was five hands shorter than her. I do know she'd have been impossible to handle!

So if I had a mare like her on the livery yard you describe I'd be a bit worried that she'd be the one doing the fence jumping etc. It does sound as the YO has taken all reasonable precautions, it's just that some mares aren't reasonable!
 
I would never put my stallions on a D.I.Y yard!
Firstly i would have respect for the people that already keep there horse there. I have owned stallions for many years, but I've had the facilities to do so which many small yards don't.

There is a reason why many livery yards will advertise No stallions. Its because they are dangerous. To other horses, children, handlers etc. I'm not surprised the other liveries are angry. What many people forget is that If a shetland pony wanted to take you out they quite easily would in a flash. It angers me when people say "Oh you wouldn't know he was a stallion" If you are that ignorant and oblivious you shouldn't have one! These are wild animals not cuddly ponies that look pretty!

You can't blame other people for worrying that their horse, children ect could be in danger. What you have to remember is that you're stallion is going to send all the horses hormones raging which is natural, but when owners wan't to school their mare without a stroppy hissy fit. Good luck, perhaps you should listen to the other liveries. Part of it may well be fear of the unknown but plenty will just be wanting to protect their horse *Accidents happen*
You wanted an honest answer??
 
Doesn't bother me at all - I have a stallion in the same barn as my two, he is very well mannered and all sensible precautions are taken by everyone when moving him around/exercising on the walker/turning out etc. Whether my mare and gelding are at livery, on a professional yard or at shows they may be stabled even next door to a stud and will certainly be ridden in the same arena, it is normal and all are expected to just get on with their work. A colt or stallion with other ideas doesn't stay in that state very long!
 
It wouldnt bother me at all - I have always kept my horse on DIY livery, I've always owned a gelding, and my current and the two previous yards I was at have had stallions on them.

Most of the stallions have been nice, only one had a vile temperament, but they were always treated with the respect they deserve :)
 
Wouldn't worry me either. I've kept my horses (three mares, one a total tart, and one a riggy ex-stallion) on livery yards with stallions before, including one that was also a working stud farm. The arrangements you've made sound perfectly sensible. None of mine ever got upset about being around a stallion, even when one was stabled in the same barn. TBH I've had less problems with stallion owners than the people treating my late-cut, former working stallion, as another normal gelding! Just stick with it and let people get to know him, hopefully then they'll see some sense!
 
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